EDP Celebrates Completion of Largest Community Co-owned Solar and Battery Hybrid Project in Australia
• This 6.8 megawatt-peak (MWp) clean energy park, co-located with 10.5 megawatt-hour (MWh) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility, is backed by 128 community coowners with Energy Democracy Central West NSW Co-operative (Energy Democracy).
• Supported by New South Wales Government’s Regional Community Energy Fund (RCEF)
• Named "Yiray" – the Wiradjuri2 word for "sun" – the clean energy park reflects EDP's partnership with the local community while honouring Wiradjuri culture and heritage.
• Yiray Clean Energy Park is a blueprint for future EDP projects in Australia, helping the team build experience in navigating complex grid connections while demonstrating the value of combining renewable generation with dispatchable storage.
EDP, through EDP APAC, together with Energy Democracy celebrates the completion of Yiray Clean Energy Park, a 6.8 MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system co-located with 10.5 MWh BESS in the City of Orange, New South Wales, Australia. This is a clean energy project that brings together government support, community ownership and renewable energy innovation to create a new benchmark for Australia's energy transition. The 11,676 solar panels will generate over 13.2 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of energy annually, powering about 2,150 homes with clean energy.
Yiray Clean Energy Park is Australia’s largest community co-owned solar and co-located BESS facility by community investment capital. Through Energy Democracy Central West NSW Cooperative, 128 community co-owners have collectively invested $1.36 million in the project, demonstrating how local communities can play a purposeful and beneficial role in renewable energy development. Their participation reflects a shared commitment to building a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
The project was also supported by the NSW Government through RCEF – a $30 million initiative established through the NSW Climate Change Fund to accelerate community-led renewable energy projects across regional New South Wales. Yiray Clean Energy Park stands as one of the program's notable success stories, showcasing the impact that can be achieved when public, private and community stakeholders work together towards a common goal.
Formerly known as Orange Community Renewable Energy Park, the project was renamed Yiray Clean Energy Park following consultation with local community representatives, including Orange City Council as well as members of the First Nations Wiradjuri community. The name "Yiray", meaning "sun" in the Wiradjuri language, was selected to better reflect the region's rich cultural heritage and connection to Country. The renaming reflects EDP’s commitment to engaging closely with the communities in which it operates and ensuring local voices help shape the identity and development of its projects.
Simon Franklin, Country Director, EDP Australia, said: “We renamed the park Yiray to give the project an identity that is more deeply connected to the local community, the Wiradjuri heritage of the region and Country on which it stands. We wish to thank Energy Democracy, and all our community owners who believe in this project. We also wish to thank the NSW Government and the NSW Climate Change Fund team for their support through the Regional Community Energy Fund. Yiray demonstrates what can be achieved when government, industry and communities work together to bring locally supported clean energy projects to life.”
Overall the project demonstrates how renewable energy developments can create benefits that extend beyond energy generation alone. By combining community co-ownership, cultural recognition and long-term local participation, Yiray Clean Energy Park serves as a model for how the energy transition can be both inclusive and locally meaningful. The strong support shown by Energy Democracy and its community owners highlights growing public interest in participating directly in Australia's renewable energy future.
Granton Smith, Chair of the Energy Democracy Central West Energy Cooperative, said: “It’s so exciting to see the Yiray project up and running, producing clean power day and night for the Orange community. Yiray is the largest community co-owned solar park, and the cooperative’s members are now beginning to see the fruits of their investment. It’s nice to drive past and think to myself, ‘I own a slice of that. I’m doing my bit to bring more clean energy into the market and help push fossil fuels out.’”
For EDP, the completion of Yiray Clean Energy Park represents both an important milestone and a demonstration of the role the company intends to play in Australia’s energy transition.
Andre Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer, EDP APAC, commented: “This project shows what can be achieved when communities are engaged as genuine participants in the energy transition. The trust, partnerships and shared ownership provide a strong model for how renewable energy developments can create lasting value for communities as well as the wider energy system. We see it as a foundation for EDP’s continued growth in Australia as we work with communities, governments, industry partners and clients to deliver reliable, competitive and responsibly developed renewable energy projects.”
Yiray Clean Energy Park forms part of EDP’s broader growth strategy in Australia and serves as a blueprint for future projects, helping the team build experience in navigating complex grid connections while demonstrating the value of combining renewable generation with dispatchable storage. Through major developments including the 400 MW Punchs Creek Renewable Energy Project, co-located with a 400 MW / 1,600 MWh BESS in Queensland, and the 450 MW Merino Solar Farm, co-located with a 450 MW / 1,800 MWh BESS in New South Wales, the company is building a diversified portfolio spanning renewable generation, energy storage and community-led
energy models. The Merino Solar Farm project has entered into a Capacity Investment Scheme Agreement with the Australian Government.
By combining utility-scale development with town-scale projects that encourage local participation and deliver shared benefits, EDP aims to contribute meaningfully to Australia’s energy security, decarbonisation objectives and long-term economic resilience.
1. By community investment capital, as of 16 September 2026
2. The Wiradjuri people are the Traditional Custodians of Country across a large area of central New South Wales, including
the Orange region